AUBURN -- Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler knows he needs to be judicious with his playbook this week.

He'll have a true freshman under center Saturday.

Still, that doesn't mean the Tigers will face New Mexico State with simply a handful of plays. Loeffler said Wednesday that Jonathan Wallace, Auburn's third starting quarterback of the season, has impressed coaches with his ability to retain information and avoid making the same mistake repeatedly.

In short: Wallace can handle almost everything Loeffler wants to do this weekend.

"He's a guy that has been extremely cerebral. You'd be shocked how much he knows," Loeffler said. "He's been a gym rat since the minute he walked in the door. He's been a grinder in every sense of the word. He's really made a huge improvement from the time he got in here until now. With his mentality and his ethic, he's going to keep getting better and better."